Strong foreign competition, an increase in imported steel, decreases in domestic manufacturing, the increasing use of labor-saving machinery (such as computer numerically-controlled [CNC] machine tools and robots), and overproduction of steel on the world market has negatively affected the U.S. steel industry and its workers. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) predicts that employment in the steel industry will decline through 2024. Opportunities will be slightly better for workers employed at electronic arc furnace mills, which are more cost-effective than traditional steel mills. The DOL predicts that job opportunities for CNC machine programmers will be strong through 2024.

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